The first week of the academy came to an end sooner than I expected it to. The days were flying by. Each day, we were required to attend three lectures. The remaining time was allotted as free time. Apart from the Theory of Mana, Elementary Mana Manipulation, and Elementary Mana Control, we were also required to attend Rudimentary Runes, Fundamentals of Magecraft, and Introduction to Magical Creatures.
Rudimentary Runes was another theory subject like Theory of Mana. The teacher had no personality whatsoever. She initially gave an introduction about Runes and then started explaining its applications. By the end of the first week, she was the first one to pile us with a ridiculous amount of homework.
Fundamentals of Magecraft was alright in my opinion. Sekar was having a blast with it and he literally bounced in enjoyment whenever the Master teaching let us near any of his equipment. Sekar had also developed an unhealthy habit of burrowing himself in the library soon after the first class.
The Master introduced us to basic of artificing and explained the uses of magic in the field. He then made us examine a few equipments in his possession and quizzed us about its nature and intended uses. By the end of the first week, he had assigned a small essay on uses of magic in traditional artificing.
The most interesting class was the Introduction to Magical Creatures. It was kind of fun. The reactions I was presented to when the teacher had said that the academy has a dragon were priceless. Some of the novices fainted on the spot. Having faced that creature earlier, it wasn't much of a shock to me.
The dragon's name was Karuppu and it was the familiar of the Headmaster. It was said to be very docile when dealing with students, but I was sure no one was going to test it out. By the end of the first week, we were introduced to our first magical creature, a breed of rabbits with a single horn on their foreheads, called Hornbits. The Hornbits were pretty harmless and easily swayed the female population of the class into feeding them in no time.
Theory of Mana was dull as ever. We were asked to write an essay on the interaction of mana with the human body. Elementary Mana Control didn't have any homework, but the concepts Mistress Prameela explained were beginning to get confusing and we were forced to raid the library to do some reading up to clear those confusions. Master Janartha was as enigmatic as ever, he didn't give us any homework. But, reminded us to practice mana shaping in our free time to get awesome as him.
By the end of the first week, I had a basic grasp on the subjects I will be studying this term. Sekar, Elango, and Prasad had already applied to the Divisions of Amara, leaving me the only odd man out. I contemplated for some time to go and apply to Ruby Division, but eventually decided it would be more trouble than it was worth. Especially when it came to that female. I told my friends that I will apply for one of the divisions soon. But, it seemed as if they had already seen through my flimsy excuses. They didn't make a big fuss about it though.
As the first week came to an end, we were eager to venture into the city and enjoy our first weekend in the academy. Seeing that me and Prasad were new to the city, Sekar volunteered to take us around and show some interesting places. Elango, on hearing this, blew Santhanu's demand to come with him to a party hosted by a Greater Noble as the entourage of a Lesser Noble he had made acquaintance with and decided to come with us to sightsee.
Santhanu's reaction to that was priceless to behold. Santhanu and Pramod then decided to go to the party by themselves at the end. We laughed our hearts out after their departure reminiscing on Santhanu's expressions.
Thus, the first morning on the weekend saw the four of us crossing the bridge into the Samara City. Samara City was basically divided into two halves by the Samara River. The upper half was the Nobles section of the city and the lower half is where the commoners lived.
The Academy was located in the eastern region of the city in the noble's half. One had to cross the Samara River to enter into the commoner's section where the lively part of the city was located.
Sekar first took us to his home located in the artisan's quarter of the city. Sounds of metal banging metal could be heard from the different forges located on either side of the street as we made our way to his home. His home was well furnished but not necessarily gaudy. His mother welcomed us with sweets and drinks. Sekar's father had been called away urgently to take care of some business in his shop. But we didn't mind it at all.
After filling our stomachs with delicious home-cooked food, we ventured out into the city. We visited the merchant quarters where numerous wares were placed on sale. The shops lined both sides of the street making it impossible for us to concentrate on a single shop. It was a tantalizing experience for me as I had never seen so many wares on display. There were all kinds of items for sale. If you had the right amount of money, you can even buy a sophisticated, personalized magic utility set of high quality.
After feasting our eyes with numerous artifacts that were put up on sale, we finally decided to call it a day and return to the academy. The next day's plan was to go cruising in the Samara River on the rowboats. Elango and Sekar debated on the ideal time to go cruising in the river till halfway to the academy, before settling on dusk. We were all pretty happy with the outing and our hearts were filled with enjoyment as we made our way back.
But, nothing could last forever. As we were about to leave the commoners section and enter the nobles section we ran into some problem, someone to be exact. A group of boys were blocking the path to the river as we turned a corner to reach the path. While most of them looked roguish and malnourished, one stood out among the bunch.
He had a handsome face with a sneer written all over it as he looked at us. His eyes sparkled with malicious intent and it looked as if they were waiting for us. The boy stepped forward from his lackeys and eyed us up and down giving off the vibe that he was evaluating a potential ware he was going to buy.
"Madhan.." I heard Elango mutter and turned to look at him.
"What is the meaning of this Madhan?" Elango asked with barely concealed contempt.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the up and rising Battlemage Elango and his cohorts. What a surprise to run into them here. Isn't it boys?" Madhan said to his lackeys in a mocking manner.
I snorted to his statement and looked questioningly at Elango. His eyes didn't leave the boy standing in front of us. Sekar and Prasad exchanged worried looks before looking around to see if anybody was in the vicinity. Our bad luck, no one was there in the vicinity. It looked as if this particular area was deserted and seldom used by people. The houses on both sides had their backs to us. In short, it was an ideal place to lay an ambush.
"Don't worry, oh mighty Battlemage," the boy mocked Elango before turning his eyes towards me, "I am not here to cause trouble. I just want to chat with our latest hotshot."
I blinked in confusion.
"Me?" I asked looking around in confusion.
"Yes, you there pretty boy. Think you are so tough, huh? Acting all high and mighty," he sneered at me.
While I didn't understand why the boy was targeting me, I immediately knew what his intentions were. He was here to pick a fight. A fight with me.
I shook my head in disbelief. It hasn't even been a week since I arrived in this city, already someone was looking to pick a fight with me.
"I don't know what you are talking about, care to explain?" I asked neither backing down or coming off as aggressive.
"Look at him, talking like a man. You really think you are that big, huh?" Madhan stated causing his lackeys to let out a hoot of laughter.
I looked at him dumbly. While many witty responses floated through my mind, I knew that any of those will only escalate things.
"He is a friend of Santhanu," Elango hissed in reply.
"Oh!" I said now things becoming clear.
"Not so tough now are you? Do you think you can waltz into this city and run people over?" Madhan demanded hotly.
The lackeys behind him loomed up menacingly. They cracked their knuckles and scowled like angry men.
I tried hard. But, I just couldn't hold it in. Despite trying to remain cautious and guarded about the situation, looking at the malnourished youths behind Madhan try to act tough brought out laughter in me. In the end, I just gave up and laughed a hearty laugh aloud.
Sekar, Elango, and Prasad looked at me as if I was mad. But, I didn't stop. True, the situation looked dire. They were twice as us in numbers. We were being confronted in a backend alley where it would take a lot of time for people to reach us, even if we were to shout for help. Anyone in that situation might have been cautious. But not me.
I had faced bullies like them a lot in my village and every time I went into a town. Coupled with my penchant for pissing off people, it was a given that I will run into their kind sooner or later. But, what I hadn't expected was to meet people like Madhan this early in the city.
It had thrown me off-guard for a bit. I didn't know whom I had offended and why they were here. After learning that they were here on behalf of Santhanu, I was a little less anxious. Good thing I hadn't offended anyone really influential…. yet.
"What are you laughing at boy?" Madhan roared angrily stepping forward to grab my shirt.
I batted his hands away effortlessly and laughed harder when he struggled to maintain his balance. It, in turn, caused his face to turn red.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just that your lackeys there look absolutely ridiculous… I mean, they… they tried to look like some tough…" I said in between laughter causing Elango, Sekar, and Prasad to snort in unison.
"He is mad…" I heard Sekar mutter to Elango to which Prasad nodded his head with an amused smile.
��Oh, you think you are so tough eh?" Madhan sneered at me.
"Don't take this wrong. If you want to threaten someone, please bring people who are bulkier than you," I said at last getting control of my laughter. "I mean, look at them. They look skinny and as if they have not been eating for days."
Madhan's face turned into an ugly shade of red. He tried to come up with some reply, but being unable to do so, he did the next predictable thing.
"You… you Bastard! Get him!" he motioned his lackeys to get me.
The lackeys started advancing causing the four of us to sober up.
"I will wipe that smile off your face with my boots, you bastard!" Madhan roared as his lackeys joined him to form a wall in front of us.
"Jipes! We are done for. We can't use magic. It is against law," Sekar whimpered beside me.
Prasad looked on with a determined expression. It was as if he knew he was going to get beaten up, but was unwilling to back down.
Elango had a grim expression on his face. His fists were clenched hard and his eyes looked hungry for a fight.
I watched my friends from the side of my eyes for a few moments and turned to look at Madhan. That fool was advancing slowly. While it was a good scare tactic, the problem was it was giving me enough time to think.
I had always been quick in forming plans to deal with my opponents when it came to a physical fight. The fact that this was a purely physical confrontation gave me a tremendous edge. After sparring with the old geezer for so many times, I could beat these bullies with my arms tied behind. My only concern was my friends.
"Behind me, deal with the ones that get past me," I said to my friends and started off without waiting for a reply.
My action took everyone by surprise. Madhan and his lackeys were expecting me to make a run for it, not to come at them. My friends were also shocked by my reckless behavior. With everyone shocked by my actions for a moment, it gave me an unexpected advantage. In a fight like this, that single moment of advantage was more than enough for me.
I sprinted hard at Madhan and his lackeys causing his eyes to widen. He recovered from his shock quickly and yelled "Get him."
Hearing him shout Elango let out a bestial roar and followed me. I could hear his footsteps behind me, albeit at a distance. One of Madhan's lackeys met me first with a wild swing. I ducked under it and used my momentum to gut-check him. He crumbled on the floor with air escaping his lungs.
I ducked under another wild swing of another one of Madhan's lackeys and swept him off his feet. He tumbled down with a loud thud. I completed the sweep with a rising back elbow and got another one of Madhan's lackeys in the face causing his nose to break with a horrifying screech that shocked people into stopping. But, I didn't stop. I neared the lackey standing left to Madhan and delivered a roundhouse kick to his stomach causing him to fold over in pain.
Panic engulfed Madhan as he tried to back away from me. It was a big mistake. I planted a kick on his retreating chest causing him to go tumbling with the momentum. The lackey on Madhan's right came to his senses and tried to rush me. I sidestepped him with ease and sent him tumbling to the ground with a backhand blow to his back. I stopped and looked at the remaining lackeys of Madhan with a murderous glare. They turned tail and ran.
I looked around to find Elango putting a boot to the boy I had swept. Prasad and Sekar were stomping a mud hole on the boy I had gut-checked. The third boy was whimpering in a corner clutching his broken nose. The fourth lackey was backing away from me with a wild look and hard breathing.
I walked calmly towards Madhan and delivered a vicious right to his face, unmindful of his pleas. I heard his teeth crack and one fell down to the floor. The sound prompted the fourth and fifth lackeys who were getting up to turn tail and run. I smiled as I picked up the teeth and squatted in front of a whimpering Madhan.
"Rule number one in bullying. Have backup that wouldn't run when the situation gets tough. Rule number two, the most important rule, choose your targets. Don't bite off more than you can chew," I said to him sincerely before patting on his head and getting up.
He looked up at me fearfully.
"Well, you know the drill. Mum's the word. If anyone asks, you slipped and fell down. If you cause me problems, I will come looking for me. And believe me when I say it won't be nice. Compared to what I will do to you, this is just a stroll through a park," I smiled at him with my trademark innocent smile.
H nodded fearfully. I patted him on his head and turned around to find Elango, Sekar, and Prasad walking towards me. I got up and the four of us left Madhan and his three lackeys whimpering in pain on the ground and walked towards the academy.
"That. Was. Sick," Sekar told after a while.
I smiled in reply to that statement.
"Seriously, where did you learn to fight like that?" Elango asked eagerly.
"I was trained by a retired knight since I was ten. Compared to that old geezer, these punks were nothing but a stroll in the park," I said tossing and catching the tooth I had taken from Madhan as a trophy.
"Why did you take that?" Prasad asked as we entered the academy grounds.
The guards at the gate gave me a stink eye, but I shrugged it off. I was happy after that little altercation with the bullies. Nothing they could do would sour my mood.
"Trophy, Prasad. Haven't you heard about that concept?" I asked mischievously causing him to shake his head in disbelief. "Also, I think someone is eagerly waiting to see our bruised and battered faces. We should have the courtesy to at least let him know how things went. This little trophy here," I showed the bloody tooth to my friends proudly, "is our proof of victory."
"Oh boy! I can't wait to see Santhanu's face when you show him that," Sekar cackled hard.
"It is going to be amazing," Elango said with a content smile.
"Seriously, what's his deal?' I asked Elango once more tossing the tooth up and catching it.
"Santhanu…. Well he thinks of himself as a leader. He expects you to follow his instructions. In his little circle, he wants to be the king. And he has people like Madhan to do his dirty work. Ever since we were children, he always wanted everyone to obey him. Having servants waiting on his every whim didn't help him either. It only increased his demand for control."
"The only reason he doesn't dare to hurt me for disobeying him is that he will get into trouble. Others though, you have to understand that father does everything Santhanu wants. He has much influence in the city and he is grooming Santhanu to be his heir. That gives him connections. People who want father's support try to please him as a way to obtain father's goodwill."
I nodded along to show that I understood where he was saying. Sekar and Prasad too listened beside me.
"You insulted him the first day. You made people laugh at him. He had never been able to tolerate that, even from childhood. When someone laughs at him, he flies into a rage. But it is not the hot, blood-boiling rage that makes him attack you immediately. His rage is cold. He is calculative and manipulative. He waits for the opportunity and will send one of his underlings to hurt you. He has a vindictive streak in him."
"I think he fears people laughing at him," Sekar chimed in.
Elango nodded his acknowledgment, "That may be the case. But, you have to be careful. He won't act immediately. That's not his style. He will wait for his opportunity. And when it comes he will strike."
"I will keep an eye on that," I said sincerely.
"Honestly, I think you are good for him. I don't want to hurt my mother by creating problems at home. And, no one else had stood up to him as you had done. If only, he could change his ways. You know, he has this charm to win over people. You will rarely see it. But, when it is needed he can be a real smooth talker. But, most of the time he is dominating and ordering you around. I think father corrupted him too much," Elango said wistfully.
"How come you are alright?" I asked curiously.
Elango's mood did an absolute turn. He looked solemn. In fact, there was a trace of sadness and longing in his eyes. I looked around to find Prasad and Sekar shaking their head to drop the topic.
"That is something I don't want to discuss now," Elango said after a while in a sad voice.
"Nevermind that, so tomorrow's plan is still on right?" I asked, desperately trying to change the topic.
"Yeah, river ride at dusk," Sekar caught on to it quickly and went on. "You will love it. It is one of the best things to do in Samara. It takes hours, but absolutely worth it. Isn't it?"
"Yeah," Elango replied with a smile. "We will head out in the afternoon and visit some places in the city. We will get a boat in the evening and come back to the academy."
"Looks like it will be a blast," Prasad said with an eager smile etched on his face.
"I hope someone bothers us tomorrow too. I had a good workout," I chuckled evilly causing my friends to break out into laughter.
"Seriously, you need to teach me how to do those," Elango said as he got over from his laughter.
"That, my friend, is a product of painstaking misery for years. If you want to learn it, you will need to go through the same misery as I did," I said with a solemn voice that made everyone laugh out loud.
Even I couldn't maintain a straight face after saying that. We all were filled with laughter as we piled into our dormitory. Santhanu and Pramod were sitting near the fireplace. They were dressed stylishly in garments of finer quality. Santhanu who had a pleased expression on his face scowled after seeing us.
We all took the remaining seats by the fireplace and started idly chatting about our day and what we would do tomorrow. Santhanu's expression morphed into irritation and soon he was fidgeting in his seat. It was clear that he was not accustomed to be ignored in this manner. Pramod was listening to our exploits with interest too, making Santhanu the odd man out on the conversation. As a person who had always been on the in-crowd, Santhanu didn't like it one bit.
When the conversation turned to the river ride we were planning tomorrow, Sekar invited Pramod and Santhanu to join us. Hearing this, Pramod was eager to accept. But before he could say anything more, Santhanu spoke up.
"I am afraid our schedules are busy tomorrow night. We are going to attend the ball held in the Pallakar House, courtesy of Young Lady Nandhini," Santhanu said with puffed up chest causing Pramod to nod along eagerly. "Of course, if you had attended today's party, you would have also got an invite for the ball. It's a pity you were busy with gallivanting with your friends. Father was so disappointed to hear about your actions," Santhanu ended with a disapproving look of his own.
I could hear Elango grinding his teeth in response to that disapproving look near me.
"Sorry to disappoint father. But, let's face it, what would he say, ah, I got it, 'You are a disappointment to this household,'" Elango mocked Santhanu by imitating their father causing his brother to frown. "It is good that you take after father. After all, it takes a lot to get the favor of a Great Noble, isn't it? Too bad, I am such a disappointment."
"It is this attitude of yours that is making you a disappointment. Stop wasting your time with wastrels like him," Santhanu said in a disapproving tone that rubbed me the wrong way.
"Ahem! Who are you referring to as a wastrel here?" I asked with a calm voice that made Pramod shiver.
"No one, and it is none of your business," Santhanu huffed and motioned for Pramod to follow him as he got up from his seat. "This place is becoming too stuffy for my tastes."
"Ah! Santhanu, I forgot. Guess who we met on our way to the academy back?" Elango asked causing Santhanu to stop near the stairs.
"Who?" Santhanu asked in irritation.
"Don't need to be so cross. After all, you know him very well. He said to send you his regards," Elango dragged the stuff without revealing who he was talking about.
"Oh1 Is that so? Who was it?" Santhanu turned around and asked him eagerly.
"Madhan," Elango said calmly, "and some of his friends."
Santhanu face closed off and he put on a guarded expression.
"And what did he say?" he asked, his eyes darting to look at me.
"He sends you his regards," I said calmly and threw the tooth in my possession in his direction.
Santhanu reacted promptly and caught the tooth out of the air and looked at it. His face blanched as he identified the bloody tooth. The shock on his face lasted for a second or two before he schooled it back into a curious one.
"Unfortunately, he had met with some accident and he will not be able to visit you for some time. So, he asked us to convey his regards to you," Elango said casually.
"I see," Santhanu said in reply, his eyes darting to look at me one more time. "I will take that into account. And if that is all you had for me, I will leave for my room."
"You better," I said calmly looking at him in the eye.
With the warning delivered, I turned around to chat with my friends. Santhanu stomped back to his room with a confused Pramod in tow.
"Pramod is looking so confused. For a moment there, I wanted to explain things to the poor guy," Prasad said as we chatted a bit.
"Don't," Elango said hurriedly, "or else he will lose confidence in his new master."
Me and Sekar cracked up at it with Prasad and Elango joining in after a moment. Thus the day came to an end with us laughing our hearts out.